Cutter piler



United States Patent [72] Inventors WaldynJ.Benbenek Frank A. Gross/o, Pittsfield, Mass. [21 Appl. No, 684,423 [22] Filed Nov. 20, 1967 [45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [73] Assignee The Clark-Aiken Company Lee, Mass.

a corporation of Massachusetts [54] CUTTER PTLER 14 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 83/64, 83/79, 83/90, 83/94, 83/106, 83/155, 83/522;649: 93/93, 214/6 [51] Int. Cl 1365b 29/50, B65h 29/60: B26d H56 [50] Field ofSearch 83/79, 80, 91, 90, 89, 94, 106; 93/93.3, 93C; 214/6D, 61-1; 83/64, 522, 649, 650, 155

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,504,228 4/ l 950 Sandberg et a1. 214/6X 2,540,971 2/1951 Wagner, Jr. et al. 93/93X 2,540,972 2/1951 Wagner, Jr. et al. 93/93X 2,606,483 8/ 1 952 Forbes, Jr 93/93 2,697,388 12/1954 Hansen et al. 93/93 3,203,326 8/ l 965 Obenshain 83/90X 3,233,891 2/1966 Denton et al. 2 l4/6X 3,406,601 10/ 1 968 Clifford 83/522X 3,411,388 11/1968 Rappaport... 83/522X 2.238,303 4/1941 Beitrnan 83/64 Primary Examiner-James M. Meister An0rne \-Mason, Mason and Albright ABSTRACT: A cutter piler automatically cuts and slits traveling webs into paper sheets, cut sizes, folio sizes or large press sizes which are then delivered by a layboy to one of two vertically-spaced piling stations. The piling stations are each provided with conveyors which can automatically move the completed piles or stacks of paper laterally to a lift table discharge conveyor. The lift table is normally sequenced automatically to service alternately the lower and the upper piling stations so that the finished piles or stacks of paper can be continuously discharged to a wrapping line or another location for end-use processing as desired. This same cutter piler can be set to skid pile so that sheets are delivered to a skid placed on the lower piling station. A measuring disc assembly is included in the cutter piler to ride on a draw drum ahead of a rotary knife. This assembly pulses a sufficient number of times to accurately measure the revolutions of the measuring disc and a read out displays the length of web drawn by the draw drum. A counter is provided with electric gating means to monitor each revolution of the cutter and to feed information to a digital counter so that the revolutions of the cutter and the drum can be compared and correlated. A second counter which receives its impulse from the gap between the cut sheets is preset to permit delivery of the exact number of sheets to each piling station. Thereafter, paper is delivered to the other piling stations while the first station is discharging. A second stage or pile lowering section of this counter, presettable, permits auto-pile lowering for small increments of each piling station. A third section of this same counter, also presettable, controls the final lowering to the down limit of each piling station.

PATENTEI] [ED291976 8.550.493

' SHEET 2 BF 9 AIWENTORS WALD J BENBENEK A. GROSSO TOR/V575 PATENTEU Hinze-I976 SHEET 5 [1F 9 INVENTORS WALDVN J. BENBE/VEK FRANK A. GROSSO ATTORNEYS PATENTEU UEC29 I976 SHEET 9 BF 9 350, ra 2" r333A w FIG. /0

STATIC BARS STATIC JETS T GATE u INDICATE LIGHT A GATE DOWN INDICATE LIGHT GATE UP SOL.

V GATE DOWN SOL.

PILE LOWER! NG IN'TERLDCK PULSIN G RELAY FOFL CONV. SEQUENCE PULSING RELAY FOR.

GATE SEQUENCE COUNTER. a PHOTO PlCKUP STATIC BARS }5TATIC JETS REJECT GATE KNIFE SENTRY SAFETY STOP HE J EC T GATE IN VENTORS WALDYN J. BENBENEK. FRANK A. GRDSSO E YS CU'ITER PILER FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the cutter piler showing the arrangement of the principal paper-processing features;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the piler stations of the cutter piler;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the discharge conveyor;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the discharge conveyor;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the draw drum and rotary knife of the cutter-piler;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the counter box with display;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the slitter assembly; 1

FIG. 7A is a side elevation along the lines 7A-7A of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7B is a side elevation along the lines 7b-7B of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 (A, B and C) is a diagram of the cutter-piler circuit;

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of the selector gate control of the cutter-piler circuit; and

FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of the reject gate and safety stop for the cutter-piler.

In FIG. 1 the cutter-piler is shown to include a conventional arrangement of slitters 1, pinch roll 3 and draw drum 4, so that a traveling web is fed into contact with a rotary knife 7 which cooperates with a fixed bed 8 to sever the web into sheets. The drive to knife can be either from a fixed gear system or from a differential gear system. The cut sheets are then normally passed through reject conveyor 6 into a layboy tape system 10 where a selector gate 11 directs the sheets to an upper piling station 13 or a lower piling station 15. The cutting and layboy arrangement shown in FIG. 1, in combination with the vertically positioned upper piling station 13 and lower piling station 15, is a compact unit requiring less floor space than comparable equipment. The need for trimmers, storage and materials for handling lines for the trimmers is eliminated.

As seen in FIG. 2, tapes of layboy 10 are positioned to feed cut-paper sheets to the upper piling station on belt conveyor 16 or the lower piling station, namely, on belt conveyor 18. Above each belt conveyor a series of side joggers 19 and back stops 21 are positioned to maintain the severed sheets in aligned piles. A piler framework 23 supports the joggers 19 and back stops 21 and cross girts 25 at each side of the frame support the conveyor. An adjusting nut-and-bolt assembly 27 is secured at one of the end rollers 29 to regulate tension on the belt.

The lower piling station includes belt conveyor 18 which is fastened to a hydraulic scissors lift table 30. When receiving severed paper stacks on belt conveyor 18, the lower piler station operates in a similar fashion to the upper belt conveyor. However, when skid piling is desired, the layboy 10 is set to deliver cut, full-width sheets directly to the lower piling station. A skid is positioned on belt conveyor 18 and lift table 30 lowers automatically in increments as skid piling is accomplished.

To unload each piling station when ream discharging, a discharge conveyor assembly is provided which includes a hydraulic scissors lift table 36 having a belt conveyor 38 secured to the upper position of the table. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, a floor support 40 houses the scissors lift table 36 and the arms 42 and 44 are pivotally articulated to the support 40 and to the top 45 of table 36. At one end of table 36, a motor 48 is geared through gear box 49 attached to bracket 50. A roller 51 is propelled by motor 48 through an endless belt 52 and pulleys 54 and 56. Roller 51 is journaled to the conveyor frame 58 through bearings 57. F rame58 includes longitudinal bars 59 reinforced by angle irons 61. The end of belt conveyor 58 remote from motor 48 has a takeup roller 64 which is journaled in takeup blocks 65 held in slots 66 in frame 58. Blocks 65 are adjustable through a takeup screw 68 and bracket 67 so that the desired tension on endless belt 38 can be maintained. A hydraulic ram (not shown) is positioned within support 40 to bear on the scissors of lift table 36 to raise and lower same in the conventional arrangement. Each of the conveyors 16 and 18 are mounted on hydraulic scissors lift tables which are raised and lowered through valving responsive to signals received from the circuitry of the counter and the electric system shown in the drawings FIGS. 8-10.

In operation, a selection gate directs cut sheets to the upper or lower piling station. From the piling stations, folio size reams or cut sheet sizes suitable for skid piling can be assembled. Optionally, a reject or broke gate associated with the conveyor in the reject section 6 can. be located immediately behind the rotary cutter, and a photoelectric eye for monitoring the paper to screen out broke is mounted about 4 to 6 inches in front of the gate leading to reject.

If the drive to the rotary knife .is through fixed geared system, then exact sheet length is obtained by changing gear ratio. If drive to the knife is through h. differential gear system, then exact sheet length is obtained through the change gear system and the sheet length indicator.

In FIG. 5, a disc 101 with a slot machined in it is attached to the axle for cutting cylinder 7. A photoelectric eye 103 is positioned to sense the slot at each revolution of the cylinder 7. Each time the photoelectric eye 103 senses the slot, it emits a signal which triggers a gate circuit in a digital counter. The counter is a conventional transistorized, gated counter capable of operating at high speed at 50 l00 kc. The counter is binary coded with decimal counting stages and will automatically reset without loss of count. One example ofsuch a commercially available counter is the Clark-Aiken transistorized sheet length indicator having a solid state circuitry.

A pulse generator with measuring disc 105 rides on the draw drum and pulses the digital counter. Each impulse measures exactly 0.01 inch on the draw drum. The second pulse or signal from the photoelectric eye 103 monitoring the cutting cylinder stops the count so that the number of inches accumulated are displayed in a readout indicator. Thus, one revolution of the cutting cylinder equals one sheet length. Each revolution of disc 105 preferably results in 1,200 pulses and the circumference of the disc 105 can be 12 inches for convenience. The generator is conventional, one example being a Veeder-Root, Series 182, l 00.

In operation, the first pulse from the photoelectric eye 103 starts the counter housed inbox 107. The second pulse from this same source stops the count and triggers the display of one sheet length on display 109. The third pulse resets and actuates the counting stages again. The operator, to make a change in sheet length, watches the display 109 and mechanically adjusts the drive mechanism which correlates the draw drum and rotary knife until the correct length is indicated. This may be done with or without a paper being set into the machine. The readout consists of four digits which are, from left to right, tens, units, l0ths and IOOths of an inch. Thus, any sheet length can be measured between 00.01 inch and 99.99 inches.

When a sheet length change is to be made, the operator merely advances or retards a ratio changer while watching the readout display 109 of the sheet length indicator. When the readout reaches the desired length, the web can then be fed through the cutter and the operation resumed. The sheet length indicator will constantly monitor the sheet length during the cutting operation.

In summary, the sheet length indicator includes a conventional gated electronic digital counter which can be housed in box 107 with a visual readout display 109, a pulse generator and measuring disc 105 assembly, a photoelectric eye 103 and a slotted disc 101.

The location of the display 109 in the digital counter box 107 is in a position where adjustment of the drive mechanism can be made and the readout display 109 seen by the operator. The photoelectric eye 103 mounted adjacent the knife cylinder is of a plug-in nature as is the pulse generator and measuring disc assembly 105.

FIGS. 7, 7A and 7B show slitter gauge 101 which is used to set the bottom slitter discs. Slitter gauge 101 is comprised of a series of movable gauge arms 113 adjustably mounted on shaft 111. Each arm 113 can be finely adjusted with knobs 115 along the length of shaft 111. The shaft 111 is prevented from moving laterally by securing knob 121 against shaft 111 through collar 122. Block 123 housing shaft 111 is secured in a notch on each side of the machine frame and is easily removed after the bottom slitter discs are set.

ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT AND OPERATION As seen in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 9, when power switch 201 is closed, bulb 204 is lit and power relay 203 is energized, closing the circuit at contacts 203A, 203B, 203C, 20315 and 203F.

Control relays 222 and 224 (FIG. 9) are in condition so that current flows from bus bar 200 through closed set double switch 205 setat folio. Contact 231A is open to 244 and closed to 246. Proximity switch 211 (FIG. 9) is closed at 211A and contact 233A is closed leading to the gate up solenoid circuit. Relay 213 is energized to activate up solenoid 317 on the discharge conveyor and open contacts 213A and close con- .tacts 213B. Depending on the piling station being used, vibrator coils 220 or 265 for the joggers 19 are in operation through relays 217 and 259 and contacts 217A and 259C, respectively. The vibrator coil 265 is energized for the upper piling station.

The hydraulic pump motor contact 218 is closed, pushbut- .ton stop switch 221 being closed and pushbutton pump motor start 311 being manually depressed'Bottom conveyor 18 is raised following the discharge conveyor 38 which is raised automa'tically after limit switch 223. is tripped when the bottom conveyor 18 reaches its top limit.

A second counter (used in the circuitry shown in FIGS. 8-10) is used to signal for automatic pile lowering, automatic ream counting and automatic table drop. Like the first counter, the second counter is a commercially available instrument and no claim is made to either counter per se. One example of such a counter. is the Clark-Aiken TRA-PL-TD Counter.

The pile lowering function of this counter is a two-digit unit presettable from 1 to 99. This means if the pile lowering portion of the counter were present at every 15 counts, a relay output occurs. This contact 229 closes for a presettable time (.03 seconds to 15 seconds) period. This energizes the table down solenoid permitting the table to lower. The amount of lowering or'increment of drop would be dependent upon the length of time the relay was kept energized and the setting of a hydraulic flow control valve.

The gate or cycle change for piling at the upper or lower piling stations occurs when the ream count portion of the presettable counter is satisfied. This is normally set at 500 count. When this count is reached, it enables a relay 313 (FIG. 9) which in turn enables relays 237, 231, 233 and 235 and also energizes the gate-up solenoid or gate-down solenoid, whichever circuit is next in the sequence. For example, a pulse occurs at 500 count (.03 to 15 seconds presettable by dial on counter) for approximately 2 seconds until contact 313 closes. Current flows to relays 237, 231, 233 and 235 simultaneously. When relay 233 is energized, contact 233A closes, allowing current to flow from relay 313 up to proximity switch 211 closed to.21lA and through the now closed contact 233A to relay 222 and gate-up solenoid 239. When the solenoid is energized, it actuates the gate. The physical movement of the gate changes the condition of the proximity switch 211 from 211 closed to 211A to 211 closed to 2118. When contact 233A was closed, 2338 was opened; therefore, even though current may still be flowing in the circuit, the gate-down solenoid cannot be energized until the next pulse from the ream count section of the counter.

The automatic table drop function occurs by presetting a third set of dials 'on the counter for the number of sheets (usually less than 100) that are in the lower tape section of the layboy from the gate to the lower piling station. When this count is reached, it indicates the last sheet on this section of the layboy has entered the pile, thereby lowering the table all the way to the bottom limit. The relay is numbered 253, FIG. 8A.

A photoelectric eye for counting is normally positioned 4 to 6 inches before the selector gate between the upper and lower tape systems for the piling stations.

Top conveyor 16 is raised manually by closing pushbutton switch 225 energizing solenoid 317 until light 263 shuts off indicating that limit switch'227 has been actuated. As paper is processed and piled on top conveyor 16, the counter relay contact 229 pulses, systematically lowering the pile by count, eventually releasing limit switch 227. When the set count on the predetermining ream counter is reached, counter relay 313 is enabled, thereby enabling control relays 231, 233, 235 and 237 (FIG. 9).

Now contact point 233A of relay 233 closes, pulsing solenoid 239 and contact point 2338 is now open. Processed paper is now fed to the bottom conveyor and contact 233C of relay 233 now opens to shut light 319 while contact 233D closes to light 321. Relay 231 closes the circuits leading from bus bar 200 to connect 231A to contact 244 and 231E is closed. Contact 231F is closed and contact 231B is opened.

Proximity switch 211 is changed from gate-up to gate-down via solenoid 239, which has been pulsed to gate-up position. Relay 224 acts to close contact 224A and contact 222A is opened via relay 222. Contact 235A is opened and contact 235B is closed.

As the last sheet of paper enters the top conveyor, the set count of the table drop stage of the predetermined ream counter is reached by counter relay contact 253 and the circuit between bus bar 200 and contact point 254 is closed.

At this point, photoelectric eye 281 is blocked, energizing its relay closing contact point 281A, contacts 281C and 207A are opened and limit switch contact 227D is closed, energizing control relay 259, opening contact 259B and closing contact 259E. Solenoid 262 through contact 259A is energized until the top conveyor reaches the limit switch 264 to open the circuit to solenoid 262. The circuit at point 259C is opened to vibrator coil 265 through rheostat 261 and selenium rectifier 268.

Limit switches 264A and 274B are closed and switch 264 is opened energizing motor contactor 270. The motor controlled by contactor 271 is running becauseswitch 274 has been closed. Control relay 276, having been energized at the same time as the motor through contactor 271, closes contact points 276A and 276B. Photoelectric eye 307 through 307A and photoelectric eye 281 through 281C prevent the top conveyor from rising until the last stack of paper is on the discharge conveyor. When the paper being piled reaches photoelectric eye 283, contacts 283A and 283G are opened, deenergizing relay 213, and contact 213A is closed so that discharge conveyor solenoid 215 is energized until limit switch 280 is opened. Motor contactor 271 and control relay 276 are also deenergized. Simultaneously the circuit at contact 281C is closed, which sends the top conveyor to its up position.

Limit switch 284 is closed, permitting the motor connected to contactor 271 to run while bottom conveyor 18 is being systematically lowered by relay counter contact 229 through 2311 The paper is now piled on bottom conveyor 18. Counter relay contact 229 pulses systematically, lowering the pile by count through relay contact 231F and limit switch 321A. This eventually releases limit switch 223 with contacts 223A and 223B. When the set count on the predetermining ream count is reached again, control relays 231, 233, 235 and 237 are enabled by the closing of counter relay 313.

Essentially the same sequence of operations occurs through the same relays when the machine is set at folio for the down conveyor as for the top conveyor. Thus the following sequence occurs. Control relays 222 and 224 are in condition so that 222A is closed and 224A is opened. Current flows through switch 205 at folio through 246 as before. Proximity switch 211 is again open to gate solenoid 239 at 233A until pulsed again from 313 (ream counter relay contact). Vibrator coils 220 are in operation until stopped through 217A.

As the last sheet completes the pile on bottom conveyor 18, control relay 217 is pulsed by table drop stage of the counter relay 253 through 235A, 305C, relay 327, contact 327A and limit switch contact 223A. Pulsing 217 seals the circuit by closing 217? which in turn closes 217N sending bottom conveyor down through limit switch 321A and energization of solenoid 322 until limit switch 321A is opened by reaching the down limit.

Contact 276A is closed because the discharge conveyor is running through contacts 283A, limit switch contacts 280A and 28013 and 321A being closed. Contact 270D is normally closed and motor contact 329 and light 330 are activated.

The paper being conveyed to the discharge conveyor operates the photoelectric circuits the same as explained above with the circuits previously opened now becoming closed, including contacts 305D and 307K. Contact 217M is closed, limit switch contact 223B being also closed, relay 327 enables solenoid 325 with light 206 lit, also closing contact 327R. The bottom conveyor 18 rises until limit switch 2238 is opened.

The paper on discharge conveyor 38 must clear photoelectric eyes 303 and 233 before the discharge conveyor can rise to top position and limit switch contact 274A is tripped, setting up another cycle.

in FIG. 10, the circuit for the reject gate is shown. This circuit permits sheet samples or defective sheets to be selectively withdrawn through a separate gate without causing a jam-up in the normal flow of paper. Photoelectric eye 401 is placed 4 to 6 inches before the reject gate so that the operator can turn a selector switch 104 to close circuit to relay 405C and open circuit to relay 405. When the eye 401 senses a gap in the paper, 405 is energized, closing 405A and 4053. The latter when closed energizes reject gate-up to solenoid 411. Release of the selector switch 404 permits 405A to open (after relay 405 is pulsed).

The photoelectric eye 407 is positioned several inches ahead of rotary knife 7 and above the traveling web so that should the web buckle, the entire machine is shut down by enabling relay 450 through contact 407A.

Contactors 406 and 408 are for blowers which are located at the piling stations of the machine to inject air and eliminate drag on the sheets. Stop lock switch 215 can be used to prevent the operation of the draw drum and rotary knife. Relay 451 is used as a jog circuit to operate the draw drum and rotary knife when the other circuits are not closed.

Static bars and jets are provided as shown to mitigate the effects of static electricity generated by the traveling web.

Lights 204", 206, 330, 291, 292, 294i, 263, 208, 295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 321, 319, 430, 431, 433 and 212 indicate closed circuits to the operator as shown.

Pushbuttons 208, 209, 269, 218, 268, 225, 279, 275, 311, 221, 215, 404, 4317, 509 and 419 enable manual activation of their corresponding circuits as shown. Contacts 203E and 203F to the conveyors are closed upon signal from relay 203,

-as is switch 203A. Circuits 2038 and 203C form part of the bus bar 200 in FIGS. 9 and 10.

SKID PlLlNG To set the cutter for skid piling, if the gate is in the down position and paper is being piled on the top conveyor, the counter should be reset to direct paper to the bottom conveyor. Switch 205 is turned to Skid Piling" which opens the circuits to automatic sequencing via control relays 231, 237, 233, 235, 222 and 224. The slitters should be moved to inoperative position.

If the gate is in the up position so that processed paper is being directed to the bottom conveyor, then switch 205 need only be changed to Skid Piling" and the lower or bottom conveyor table can be manually controlled for up and down operation while the automatic pile lowering by count remains in effect. When resetting to the automatic Folio setting, all tables should be clear of paper.

In FIG. 2 and 3, photoelectric eyes 281, 305, 2033, and 307 are attached on the conveyors to scan same and insure that paper piles do not interfere with the continuous operation of the machine. These photoelectric eyes indicate that there is paper on the conveyors.

The above description and drawings disclose the preferred embodiment of our invention, but it is to be understood that it. is capable of other adaptions and modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A cutter'piler mechanism having a rotary cutting means for processing a traveling paper web into finished, paper sheet stacks suitable for wrapping, comprising a draw drum positioned upstream relative to said rotary cutting means and a sheet length indicator, including a pulse generator and readout means, operatively associated with said drum to sure and indicate the revolutions of said drum, electric gating means associated with said rotary cutting means to detect the revolutions of said cutting means and to signal said readout means whereby the exact lengths of sheets being cut are monitored, a layboy for delivering processed sheets to one of a plu rality of piling stations and conveyor means for discharging stacks of sheets from said stations.

2. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein two piling stations are positioned, one above the other, the lower piling station being settable to skid pile when said layboy is set to deliver cut-paper only to said lower station whereby said layboy services the lower piling station only.

3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein a lift table discharge conveyor is positioned laterally and adjacent said piling sta tions to receive discharged piles of paper, said discharge conveyor being normally cycled to alternately service the upper and lower piling stations automatically.

4. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein said discharge conveyor comprises a scissors lift table having an endless conveyor mounted at the upper part thereof.

5. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein side joggers and backstops are provided at each piling station whereby papers of various sizes can be stacked at each piling station.

6. The mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein the piling stations are each comprised ofa conveyor secured to the top of a scissors lift table.

7. The mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein said layboy is responsive to signals from counter means to direct processed paper sheets to first one piling station and then to a second piling station after a predetermined number of paper sheets is piled on said one piling station.

8. The mechanism ofclaim 7, wherein the conveyor ofeach piling station is mounted on a scissors lift, each lift being auto-- matically lowered responsive to signals received from said counter means.

9. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein sensing means is associated with the conveyors of said piling stations to control the movements of said conveyors when piled paper is being discharged.

10. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein a reject gate is located in front of said layboy and behind said cutting means to selectively remove paper and prevent same from reaching said piling stations.

11. The mechanism of claim 6, wherein the conveyors are provided with electric eye means to sense the location of piled paper on conveyors.

12. The machine of claim 9, wherein further sensing means is positioned adjacent said rotary cutting means to detect malfunctions in the traveling web, said. further sensing means being set to interrupt the revolutions of said draw drum upon the web's malfunction.

13. The mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein said readout means includes a digital counter which receives and displays the number of pulses emitted by said generator responsive to signals from said gating means.

1 A cutter-piler mechanism having rotary cutting means for processing a traveling paper web into finished, counted ments of rotation of said drum and feed the pulses to readout means, electric gating means associated with said cutter means to signal said readout means whereby the pulses can be counted to monitor the length of paper sheets being cut by said cutter means, a layboy for delivering processed sheets to a piling station and conveyor means for discharging stacks of sheets from said stations. 

